JOINED!

While I am on the subject of marriage …

The Gospel of Mark is almost a “manual” of discipleship, describing what it means to walk with Jesus from Galilee (where the story begins) to Jerusalem (where the story ends).

Early in the account, Jesus had declared that disciples were forming a new family, that related to Jesus, followed Jesus, and represented him. This discipleship business was going to be a radical journey going God’s way, and radical journeys demanded radical measures.

“Behold My mother and My brothers!
For whoever does the will of God,
he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:34–35

Some time later, Jesus addressed the particular implications of the call to discipleship that dealt with sacrificing everything “for My sake.”

Jesus said, “Truly I say to you,
there is no one who has left house
or brothers or sisters
or mother or father
or children or farms,
for My sake and for the gospel's sake,
but that he will receive
a hundred times as much
now in the present age,
houses and brothers and sisters and
mothers and children and farms ….”
Mark 10:28–30

The interesting thing is that all throughout the Gospel, while much sacrifice is called for, even of close ones, and of livelihoods, there is nothing at all said about spouses sacrificing one another. Instead, in a strongly worded response to the Pharisees, Jesus asserts the permanence of marriage.

“But from the beginning of creation,
God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave
his father and mother
and the two shall become one flesh;
so they are no longer two,
but one flesh.
What therefore God has
joined together,
let no man separate.”
Mark 10:6–9

Nowhere in the Gospel is any hint of husbands giving up wives or vice versa for Jesus’ sake. That relationship is one ordained by God and is inviolable. The call to discipleship does not disrupt this special bond. How could it? For husband and wife have become “one flesh,” inseparable. In fact, for married folks, the Trip of Discipleship calls for a “one-fleshed” undertaking—a joint enterprise. There is never any indication in Scripture of it being any other way. Jesus had already declared:

“If anyone wishes
to come after Me,
he must deny himself,
and take up his cross
and follow Me.”
Mark 8:34

Indeed, one might need to rewrite this principle for married couples: “If any married couple wishes to come after Me, ‘he+she’ (as one flesh) must deny ‘himself+herself,’ and take up ‘his+her’ cross and follow Me.”

The “one flesh” concept is foundational to marriage and foundational it will remain for discipleship, Jesus declared. Thus Jesus establishes the singular importance of “one-fleshed” discipleship—the joint journey undertaken by spouses following Jesus together. It couldn’t be otherwise. As one scholar said, it is not just that this “one-fleshedness” should not be broken up; it cannot. God’s sees marriage as a one-flesh union that is essentially inseparable.

This is an important directive to disciples regarding the closest union humanly possible—that between spouses. Lest anyone imagine that discipleship and its call for self-denial and cross-bearing involve the abandonment of this union, Jesus quickly corrects such a misconception. The “trip of discipleship” for married ones is a joint endeavor, a one-fleshed undertaking, helping one another along the way. In fact this is an exemplary instance of the manner in which members of the body of Christ help one another along the way.

We walk together on the journey. Helping one another on this Trip of Discipleship!